Almost all renters pick up their vehicles at the airport they fly into. Denver International Airport is by far the largest airport in the state. It also happens to have the largest selection of rental cars.

Denver International Airport is located in the center of the state and getting to your destination from it is relatively easy no matter where in the state that is. With that said, many make a connecting flight to a smaller airport, particularly in winter. Aspen Airport is a popular destination for those heading to shred the slopes — and you can pick up a rental car there, too.

If staying in the city for some time before heading to other parts of the state, you can also pick up a rental car in the city when you're ready to use it.

A road trip through the West should be on everyone's bucket list. The best way to do this is to fly into one place, say Denver, and fly out of another — like in a neighboring state. Most rental companies offer one-way rentals if you are planning an epic road trip like this.

Keep in mind: Most car rental companies charge a fee for one-way rentals, but this will be included in the total if you searched using your desired drop-off location.

Colorado has a significant number of residents that speak Spanish. That said, almost 85% of the state's population doesn't speak any other language than English, so don't expect to get much use out of your Spanish.

As usual in the United States, if you speak English, you will have no problem communicating.

Wine Country. When you think of American wine, you probably think of the valleys of Northern California. But there are more than 100 wineries in Colorado.

The two many areas are Grand Valley, which includes the town of Palisade, and West Elks which includes Hotchkiss and Paonia. Your best bet is to simply go and drive around and stop at vineyards along the way — just pick up a map at the main tourist offices.

And the other major thing that makes Colorado's wine country a must-visit is that it's less-crowded than Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

Just Drive: Colorado is a pleasure for just simply driving and enjoying the scenery. The above-mentioned Trail Ridge Road is simply the start of the scenic roads that Colorado has. Drive up to Pike's Peak, along the Road to the Sky, or just simply drive around aimlessly taking in the scenery. You'll keep coming back to the state for more and more if you do.

The state of Colorado has a Scenic Historic Byway Commission that has designated 26 highway and backroad routes as Scenic and Historic Byways. Eleven of these are designated American Byways by the federal government, which is more than in any other state. While only some are detailed below, the Colorado Department of Transportation has a list of all of them.

There are many gas stations all over Colorado. In Denver and other cities in the state, gas stations can be found almost everywhere you look. But once you get to the mountains or in the plains, you may find long stretches of road without service. If you travel to these areas, be sure to fill up beforehand and not let your tank get too low.

For example, there are no gas stations in Rocky Mountain National Park. You'll have to travel at least 50 miles from either Grand Lake or Estes Park to get to the next gas station.

Prices at Colorado's gas stations are shown per gallon (1 gallon = 3.79 liters).

As of January 2023, the average price in Colorado is $3.43 per gallon (or about $.87 per liter) for regular, according to the AAA (you can find the current average price at that link). This is right around the national average. Prices vary in the state, though. Gas is significantly more expensive in the mountains and significantly less expensive in the plains.

The simple answer to this is probably for as long as you plan to stay in the state (or for the duration of your road trip if you plan to visit other states).

If you simply plan to stay in Denver for your entire trip, you may be able to get away without renting a car. Though, you still would be best off with a car if you plan to head outside of Downtown Denver.

If you plan to head to the mountains, any of the national parks, or to the smaller cities in the state (e.g., Fort Collins or Boulder), then you will almost surely want to have a car.

Many head to the state for long ski weekends in the winter and therefore stay for two to three nights. In summer, though, most people spend at least a week in the state. This gives them the time to see multiple national parks and to properly experience the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Of course, two weeks would only be even better.

While prices may differ slightly depending on where you pick up a rental car, this probably won't matter much as you will be most likely to pick it up in Denver.

In November, the lowest tourist season in Colorado, the average price of a rental car is $31 per day. In January, it is $36 per day. But in the middle of the high season in June, it is a whopping $74 per day. All of these averages were compiled in June of 2024.

Suffice to say that spring and fall are the cheapest times to get a rental car in the state — but also the times when the weather is the least enjoyable for outdoor activities.

There are many cheap rental car companies in Colorado. On the whole, the state's car rental prices are about the same as those in the rest of the United States. You may end up being able to find a car for as little as $50 a day — though be sure to see the caveats below.

Obviously, your destination also influences the price — cars tend to be more pricey around popular tourist destinations. However, that conventional wisdom doesn't hold in Colorado. Prices are generally lower in the most popular places — namely, Denver — due to the sheer number of cars available there.

Keep in mind: Booking a car in advance is a tried and true method for getting a much lower price, especially if you plan to travel to Colorado during the high tourist season. A car booked a month before the trip can cost half as much as the same car booked a couple of days before you travel.

Booking a car for a longer period of time is also a good idea — due to different commissions and other fees, booking a car in Colorado for a longer period can cost significantly less per day.

Price is obviously a huge factor when choosing a car rental company, but it shouldn't be your only consideration — often, for a couple of dollars more, you can find a much better overall deal. Instead, try to look for a company that offers both a good price and has a good rating from previous renters.

Also, make sure you are familiar with the rental conditions! Different rental car suppliers will have different conditions. The rental conditions can influence the final price of the car and are important to be aware of in general.

You can find the rental conditions when searching for a rental car on our website.

Some of the most important things when picking up a rental car is knowing your rental car supplier's fuel and mileage policies along with its driver requirements.

Mileage policy :
A rental supplier's mileage policy is the maximum permitted distance that you are allowed to travel per day (or sometimes per week) with your rental car. Once you exceed the permitted distance, you will be required to pay an extra fee for every additional mile you drive. There might also be the maximum permitted mileage for the whole of the rental period.

Different rental car suppliers have different mileage rules. It's important to know about them before booking your car, especially if you plan to drive a lot or travel long distances during your trip.

Also keep in mind that many rental companies restrict the allotted mileage for residents of Colorado.

You can find the supplier's mileage policy in their rental conditions:

Driver requirements:
Different rental car companies will have different requirements for drivers. These may include:

Choosing the right insurance is very important as it will protect you in case anything goes wrong during your rental period. If you have your own personal insurance, it may or may not cover your rental car — you should ask your insurance carrier to find out.

Your credit card may also cover your rental car. Be sure to check with your credit card company in advance.

If you are an international customer (that is, you do not reside in the US or Canada), then your rental rate will almost surely include a Collison Damage Waiver. Unless you have a zero deductible rate, the CDW will have a deductible — an amount you'll be liable for in the event of any damage to the car. For this, we suggest adding our Full Coverage to your booking — an added bonus being that it covers many parts of the car that the CDW may not!

Check the Insurance section of our Help Center to learn more about choosing the right insurance and everything related to it.

Small cars are usually the cheapest type of cars. Intermediate and larger-sized cars are usually a little more expensive. SUVs usually come at a slight premium, particularly 4x4 vehicles.

There are a number of local companies in Colorado. But all of the major brands also have huge fleets at Denver Intieratnioanl Airport. And while some of the smaller companies that you may not have heard of before may offer what looks like a lower price, be sure to find out how much their mandatory fees cost like their toll package. Also, see in advance if they will accept your car insurance as coverage as some of them only accept insurance from certain companies. If you are required to purchase the rental company's coverage, expect the total price to perhaps double.

The main factors for choosing a rental car should be the price and rating of the company. Keep in mind that the well-known large brands have been operating in Colorado for decades.

To pick up a rental car, you'll need to have your booking confirmation voucher, passport, driver's license, a credit card on the main driver's name, and all the other necessary documents.

When making the reservation, you will see your rental car's pickup location, of which there are many types. Since most travelers tend to pick up their rental cars at the airport, we'll mainly focus on the pickup locations in or near the airport. These are the most popular pickup location types:

• Meet & Greet. With this type of pickup location, you'll be met by an employee of the car rental company in the arrivals hall of the airport which you normally enter right after leaving the baggage claim area. The employee will usually have a printed sign with your name on it. The employee will take you to the company's office to proceed with signing the rental contract and collecting the car's keys.
• In the terminal. In this case, you will have to find your rental car company's desk yourself. The desk will be usually located in the arrivals hall. Once you've found the desk, you can present your documents and continue with the pickup procedure. Do keep in mind that you might have to wait in line.
• Shuttle bus. In certain cases, the car rental company's desk might be located outside the airport's terminal. Sometimes you can reach it on foot, but in most cases, you need to take a shuttle bus. For this, you'll need to find the shuttle bus stop inside the airport, the location of which will be given to you when making the booking. Sometimes, the shuttle bus is shared by multiple car rental companies while others have their own shuttle service just for them. Look for the name and the logo of your rental company to make sure you take the right shuttle bus.
• Delivery service. This type of pick-up is similar to Meet & Greet but takes even less time to complete as you won't need to go to the car provider's office to sign the agreement.
• Car rental center. This means that your car rental company shares its location with other companies. The car rental center is located in the arrivals hall, in another part of the terminal, or in a separate building next to the terminal.
• Outside terminal. This pick-up location means that your car rental company has an individual desk located outside the airport's terminal, but within the larger airport complex, that can usually be reached on foot

At the pickup location: After the car rental company checks your documents and make sure you have enough deposit on your credit card, you will receive the car's keys and be taken to the rental car which will usually be parked in a nearby parking lot.

Inspect the car: Upon picking up the car, you will have to sign a document called the check-out form. If your rental car has any scratches or other types of damage, they should be listed on the form. Inspect the car carefully — if it has any scratches or other issues that are not listed, make sure to point them out to the employee before signing the check-out form. The form will also list the mileage and the amount of fuel the car has at the pickup time.

Take photos: It is generally a very good idea to take photos of the car before picking it up, preferably from multiple angles and including the inside of the car with the odometer showing the previous mileage on the car and of the amount of fuel in the tank (read more about fuel on our Fuel Policy section above). The photos should have a timestamp to show the date and time when they were taken; most pictures taken with mobile and digital cameras have them.

Find out the drop-off location: Before leaving with the car, make sure you find out the exact drop-off location and the directions to get there. While it will often be the same as the pickup location, it might also be in a completely different part of the airport (this is especially the case with the larger airports that have multiple terminals).

Returning the car: When dropping off the car at the end of your trip, carefully check the vehicle in the presence of an employee of the rental company. If any new scratches or damages are found, the company employee should point them out in your presence. If there are none, the car's check-in form should state that the car has been returned in the same condition. The same applies to the cleanliness of the car (if you return a car that is not clean, the company might later charge an extra cleaning fee). Make sure to check the car's trunk and the glove compartment to avoid leaving any personal belongings in the vehicle.

You might also want to add some extras for your rental car such as a GPS system, a child's seat, second-driver permission (if you're traveling with a friend or a family member who can and wants to drive). Keep in mind that you will almost surely need snow chains and definitely winter tires in Colorado during winter. Be sure to search for them in advance and add them before making the booking. Not every rental car supplier will have all of these extras available. Adding extras will influence the final price of a car and different car rental companies offer them for different prices.

Speed cameras (and vans) are legal and used sometimes in Colorado. You will only encounter them in cities, usually in residential areas where the speed limit is low.

By law, there must be a notification to drivers that these devices are in use. Usually, this means a sign right before you encounter them.

As in many places in the US, red-light cameras are used. Of course, the best defense against these is to simply obey traffic rules.

Keep in mind that if you are caught with a camera, whether it be a permanent one or a van, the ticket will be sent to the rental company via the license plate on the car. You can expect that the rental company will tack on an extra fee for administering the fine.

Your best bet to avoid being charged with drunk driving is to not drink at all before getting behind the wheel. That being said, anything over .08% BAC is a DUI in Colorado. While cannabis is legal in Colorado, driving under the influence of it is treated exactly as drunk driving is. Also, be sure not to try to carry any with you when returning to the airport or driving out of the state.

Yes, there are a few toll roads in Colorado. In addition to them, there are also Express Lanes. Even though there are many mountains in the state, there are no tunnels that are tolled. There are also no bridges that are tolled.

Colorado's toll roads are strictly electronic. There are two methods to pay them — an ExpressToll transponder or License Plate Toll. Most rental companies will offer you a toll package that may use either method. Of course, there's always an additional fee for this.

Luckily, you don't absolutely need to take the rental company's toll pack (unless it has non-removable transponders in its cars — ask about this in advance). You can simply register your vehicle and the dates you plan to travel ahead of time and then have the tolls billed to you. See the state's E470 website for more information.

The most popular toll road, and that which will be of most concern for those picking up a rental car at Denver International, is the E-470. This road connects the airport with I-25 north of Denver. From there, there's another toll road, the Northwest Parkway, that connects I-25 with US 36 west of Denver. This road has a speed limit of 75 miles per hour and is useful if you're heading toward Boulder or Rocky Mountain National Park.